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Dewey appoints new councilman

DEWEY — Justin Lewis was appointed Tuesday night to fill the Ward 3 seat on the Dewey City Council.

Appointment of Lewis followed the resignation of multi-term Councilman Brian Lorensen, who submitted a letter of resignation effective last Friday. He said he was resigning, “regrettably,” due to a change in his employment

“It is with sadness that we must accept this,” Mayor Ron Revard said in receiving the resignation. “Brian Lorensen has been someone who was always here to help, and with a smiling face.”

In the letter, Lorensen said it had been his pleasure to be a part of council accomplishments which moved the city forward. He expressed confidence for the community to be continued along that course.

“He will be missed,” fellow councilman Mike Banks said. “Brian truly cared about all the people, especially those in his ward.”

Lewis, a businessman, has served for the past several years as president of the Dewey Recreation Association. He is a longtime city resident who graduated from Dewey High School in 1990.

A swearing-in ceremony for the newly-appointed councilman is expected to be held on March 4 prior to his first official meeting, the mayor said.

City Manager Kevin Trease presented updates on several public works projects, including one that is well under way to replace the Meadow Creek Lift Station. Another will address drainage problems around the Bulldogger Apartments complex, he said.

The city manager said a renovation project for the wastewater treatment plant is progressing ahead of schedule. He reported that the start of demolition work is approximately two weeks away at the site of the former Dewey grain elevator.

“By the end of March, we may be ready to take bids for our new water tower,” he said.

Trease also reported that the latest sales tax receipts for the city showed a solid gain. He reported the February amount (which is based largely on December 2012 sales) at $80,478 — an increase of 13 to 14 percent over totals for the previous year.

“This is really good news,” said the city manager. “It basically shows that we are seeing an additional $10,000 a month in local sales.”

Also on Tuesday, a mayoral proclamation was issued in support of the upcoming Dewey Public Schools bond issue.

“Just like an education is important in the growth of a person, a quality school system is important for the growth of a community,” said Mayor Revard.

The proclamation states that city officials recognize the need for improvements at the local schools, especially with regard to safety and security issues, and urges the citizens of Dewey to vote in favor of the issue at the March 5 election.

During the last part of the one-hour meeting, council members held an executive session, which are closed to the public, to resume month’s-long discussions related to “matters pertaining to economic development.” The council concluded the session with an announcement that the city manager had been authorized to make a counter offer regarding certain property located north of town.

The mayor expressed that he anticipated that negotiations on the unspecified project were nearing an end.